Between Fate and La Push
by liten-kiddo
Summary: The story of Kim's little sister, Shannon, after she is forced to move back to La Push at sixteen. Little does she know that she's about to be pulled into a world of secrets, lies, and werewolves. None of which she wants to be a part of. Requested
1. La Push

I honestly have no idea why I did this.

Someone sent me a message about how depressed they were that Jacob was still alone and they thought it would be cute if I could tie his imprinting to someone else's. So, lone behold, I have decided to do so after much thought (and just to get it out of my head). Try this and tell me what you think, would you? I don't know quite what to do with it yet. I might not continue.

-Kiddo

* * *

"What if I promise to never touch your car again? Or at least not without asking permission first?" 

"Shannon, we've been over this already."

"I hate La Push."

"You're going to go live with your mother and that's finale."

"But she already has Kim to take care of. She doesn't need to be burdened with me, too."

I could hear my father snort his disagreement. "Kim is relatively low matainace compared to you, young lady."

"Kim? My sister? Are we both talking about the same girl here?" I folded my arms across as the 'Welcome' sign flew past us. For my mistakes, I had been banished to live in no-mans land until I graduated.

"Shan…"

"Fine, Dad. I know the rules. But I am cooperating, aren't I? I haven't thrown myself from the car and made a run for it…yet."

"Be nice to your mother and sister for me, alright?" It was not a request. And I noticed how he had left my step-father, Scott, out of it.

"But Mom _cooks _and does all that other family shit."

"Who knows? Maybe you'll enjoy not eating out of a box every night."

"I _like _eating out of a box." We passed the first line of houses in La Push, so different than the apartment complexes I was used to seeing in LA.

"Maybe if you ask nicely she'll put yours in a box for you."

I ignored his jab and tried a different approach. "I don't like Scott."

"I don't think Scott's parents like Scott." My father agreed, even though we both knew that wasn't true. My mother's new husband- I still thought of him that way, even though he'd been with her for over three years- was doted upon by all. Everyone loved him.

Everyone except for my dad.

"We're here." He parked the car in front of the little gray house.

"I guess this is goodbye since I know you're not coming in to chat." I unbuckled my seatbelt and gave him a half-hug before fishing my duffel bag out of the back and sliding out of the car…and into the rain. I had forgotten how much I hated the rain until now. There was something about being wet that was just so unappealing to me.

"Shannon!" I heard a woman's voice float out of the house, followed by the owner. My mother beamed down at me, ushering my inside with exaggerated hand motions.

I readjusted my bag and trudged up the front steps, trying to keep the desperation off my face. Just two years and I would be out of this place. I could at least try to get along with the people here.

"Oh, Shannon," She held my face in her hands, looking down at me with scrutinizing eyes. "You look so different since the last time I saw you. You should have come to visit more often."

"Thanks, Mom. You look different, too." I pulled away from her hands and brushed a strand of wispy black hair behind my ear. "Even though it's only been a year."

"It's been over a year." She looked at me sadly, then changed her tone. "Oh, speaking of which, since you still haven't completed your sophomore year we resisted you down at your sister's school." She bustled back inside, all business now. She must have remembered why I was here.

"Goodie," I whispered under my breath, positive she didn't hear me. I could get through a month of high school in La Push. That wouldn't be a problem. The problem would be putting up with Kim at school for that month.

"You start on Monday." She led the way to the tiny room and motioned at the twin bed in the far corner. "That's yours. You can put your clothes in the closet here and…didn't you bring anything else?" She looked pointedly at my single duffel bag, crammed with whatever I had been able to fit into it.

"No," I set it down on the floor next to my new bed and stared at my sister's side of the room. "Who's this?" I picked up a black picture frame and squinted at it. It looked to be my sister and an extremely tall man with his arm around her shoulders. They were both looking out at me with ear-splitting grins as if they had just won the lottery.

"That's Kim and her boyfriend, Jared." My mother stated as if it was her own boyfriend. "They've been together for more than a few months now."

I doubted she would be as impressed with the picture that I used to have beside my bed at my father's house of my ex boyfriend and I showing off our matching nose rings. The thought of it made me grin, even though I had taken mine out before coming to live with my mother and other family here in La Push.

"That's nice." I put down the picture, slightly befuddled. Kim and boys were never two words that I had thought about using in the same sentence. She was always too shy.

"Do you need any help unpacking?" She was at the foot of my bed, hauling my bag up and dumping the contents onto the light purple comforter before I could say anything. "Oh, dear, Shannon," She muttered when she spread out my wardrobe.

"Its fine, Mom. Really. All the kids wear this stuff down where Dad lives." I picked up a pair of jeans that had fallen off the bed and folded them before setting them in a pile and picking up the next pair.

"Really?" She asked, still in utter disbelief as she picked up one of my green shoes between her thumb and forefinger, as if it was a snake ready to bite her.

"Really, really." I took the shoe from her and set it in the closet with its mate. I honestly hoped she took advantage of my cleanliness now, because it wasn't going to last more than a few days.

She moved to sit on Kim's bed, smoothing the purple button-up shirt she was wearing. "This is going to work out."

"I know." I lied. I would go mad staying here, having rules, a curfew, a parental figure that would have a heart attack if I came home with a piercing.

My dad had just laughed at me and admitted that he had been young once. I knew my mom and Scott would have taken a pair of pliers to it.

"Kim and Scott will be home in about an hour. He picks her up from school on his way home from work."

"Where does he work?" I shook off a tweed jacket and hung it in the closet. Small talk always made me uneasy.

"Oh, at a law consultation firm just inside Port Angeles." She sighed as if this was a job to dream about.

"Sounds…exciting." I ground my teeth together. There was no way I would be going to hang out at work with Scoot like I did with my Dad, who owned a mechanic shop a few miles away from our apartment.

"Oh, it is." She said, sounding genuine. "Will you be alright here for a little while? I have to run a few things to the Clearwater's before dinner." She stood up and wrinkled her nose, causing her already too-small eyes to become even smaller. I thanked the ceiling again that I hadn't inherited them. "Perhaps you could take a shower before dinner? Kim is brining Jared over." Again, she made it sound as if he was royalty.

I could already tell I was going to hate him if my mother liked Kim's boyfriend this much. "I could do that." I offered, trying not to let my temper get the best of me. I knew what I smelled like- my dad's cigarette smoke and the soap mechanic's use to get grease off their fingers.

"I'll be back before you know it."

I waited until the front door slammed and I heard the car start up to kick the post of my bed. I honestly wanted to scream until I went hoarse, but doing something like that might alarm our neighbors. There was nothing I could do except for gather up a clean pair of jeans and go in search for the shower.

* * *

I was still unpacking after my shower when I heard the front door slam and an array of new voices. 

"Shannon! Are you here?" The highest voice called down the hall timidly. Kim.

I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping that when I opened them I would be back in California and this would all be just a bad dream.

"I don't think she's here. Shannon?" Kim called again, this time louder than before.

"Hey," I stepped out of the room I was going to be forced to share with her and shoved me hands deep into my jeans pockets.

"Shannon!" She tossed her arms around me, smiling. I was astounded to see that we were the exact same height. "How tall are you now? Five-four? Five-five?"

"Five." I hugged her back awkwardly. I couldn't remember my sister ever being so ecstatic to see me. It could have had something to do with the boy standing behind her, though. "You must be Jared." The picture didn't do his height justice. I shook his hand politely, surprised by how hot his grip was. It was like my hand was encased in an oven.

"It's nice to meet you." He moved to the side for Scott to get through.

"Shannon," Scott gave me a grin and a small hug. I didn't bother to hug him back. I might have wrinkled his shirt.

"Hello." I looked at my step-father carefully. He was too typical, too fake. Brown hair, brown eyes, pale skin and dressed for work in a dark blue business suit and red tie. I couldn't understand what my mother saw in him. He was the complete opposite to my long-haired, tattooed, surf junkie, mechanic of a father that she had fallen in love with when she was just out of college.

"Is your mom around?" He asked, his paste-on smile unwavering.

"At the Clearwater's place." The name didn't ring a bell, but at lest I had remembered it. "She said she had some stuff to drop off."

"Seth said she was there." Jared added, causing me to jump slightly.

"Oh, really? How are Leah and Sue doing?" Kim, Jared, and Scott shared an understanding look in their haste to change the subject. I was obviously out of the loop.

"Just fine. Leah gets back from her trip in a few days." He winked at me. "Everyone wants to meet the infamous Shannon."

I grunted, finding no other way to reply to a comment like that. "Does everyone know about me?"

"Absolutely. You can't come to a town this small without everyone hearing about it." He flashed me another smile and pulled Kim back towards the front room.

"He makes her happy." Scott patted my head in a rather degrading manner and disappeared into the room he shared with my mother. The only room in this house I would never enter. "There are a lot of nice boys your age around this place, maybe you'll find one and be happy too." He said before closing the door behind him.

"And maybe I'll throw myself off a bridge." I grumbled, returning to unpacking my bag. Once I was done I kicked it under my bed and sat down, staring at the beige walls. "Two years."


	2. Awkward Beginnings

I should have considered this before, but the timing…about a year after the ending of Eclipse. ((I fixed the timing in the previous chapter.)) We can safely assume that Bella is off roaming the world with Edward by now.

Oh, and I'm updating Kind Of Since Forever in a bit. No worries. :)

PS. I do not condone smoking, drinking (underage), or drugs of any manor. It just seemed to fit in with the story.

-Kiddo

* * *

I adjusted the headphones over my ears and closed me eyes, cutting out the noises that filled the tiny house. The other purpose of the music was to muffle the sound of the rain coming down outside. I couldn't believe that anyone would truly want to live here. 

"Shannon? Are you awake?" Kim's head popped through the doorway, her wide face showed no emotion when she walked towards my bed and stood over me. "Can you even hear me?"

"Yes?" I took off one of my headphones and raised an eyebrow. The heavy metal was still screeching through the small bud of plastic loud enough for both of us to hear clearly. "Was there something you needed?"

"Mom says dinners ready." She gave me another fleeting glance before walking back out of the room.

"Dinner?" I sat up, pressing a hand over my stomach. I hadn't eaten since yesterday morning when Dad and I left LA to drive here. None the less, I didn't want to face the happy family. On one hand I would starve to death, but on the other I would be subjected to eating my mother's cooking and being drilled with questions about things I would rather not talk about.

My stomach won out in the end.

"Good. We're all here now." My mother shot me a smile from across the table. I gave her a weak grin in reply. I hated family dinners.

"Shannon? Would you like to say grace?" Scott's voice startled me.

"Grace? As in…prayer." I stared at him in disbelief. Surely he was joking.

"Is there any other kind?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?" I quirked an eyebrow.

"Shannon!" My mother hissed at me, shooting Jared and Scott apologetic looks.

"What?" I hissed back, my hands gripping the seat of my chair. I _told _my dad this wouldn't work. I felt like an outsider infringing on the perfect family my mother had worked so hard to create.

"Would you please apologize to Scott and say grace so we can get on with the meal." She regained her posture.

"I don't know how." I admitted, glancing across the table. Kim looked disappointed, but Jared looked as if he was trying to suppress a laugh.

"How to pray or how to say you're sorry?" She pursed her lips, making me feel like a child.

"Both?" I dared, walking on thin ice.

"You're grounded."

"Already? I only just got here." I challenged before I could stop myself. I didn't understand why I always had to argue with my mother, it was just written into my blood. I was too much like my dad.

"Cheryl," Scott stepped in before we got to throwing fists. Not that we ever had, but it was quickly becoming an option.

I might have been shorter and quicker than she was, but since I hadn't inherited her curves like Kim had, I knew I was lighter.

"What?" She looked away from me, tears in her eyes.

I wanted to slap myself. Fighting my _mother? _Was I really that far gone? And now I had made her cry. I hadn't even been here an entire day.

"I think we should go easy on her. She just moved into a new place with people she hasn't been around in a very long time. Let's give it a little bit longer until we get out the whip and shackles." He smiled at her and I wanted to gag. He was trying to weasel his way onto my good side.

Cheryl bought it. "Fine," She cleared her throat as if nothing had happened. "Kim? Would you do us the honors?"

"Of course." She bowed her head, followed by Jared and Scott. My mother gave me a look before joining them.

This was going to be the longest two years of my life.

* * *

"What is _wrong_with you?" Kim demanded once she had seen Jared home and we were getting ready for bed. "Mom was so excited that you were coming to live with us and then you had to go and ruin it. Why, Shan?" She put her hands over her eyes as if she couldn't bear to relive the evening. "And Jared was there." She moaned. "Now everyone's going to know." 

"Pardon? What the hell are you going on about?" I pulled my shirt over my head, not caring if Kim was in the room or not.

"Don't worry about it." She sighed and gathered up her night clothes, heading towards the bathroom to change. She had always been the more modest of the two of us. It was hard for me to believe we were even sisters, considering how contradictory we were to each other.

"I won't." I assured the empty room, rubbing my hands over my face. I needed to learn how to control my temper. _If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. _I groaned and flopped down on the bed.I had never heeded the advice of Disney movies, anyways.

Kim reappeared back at the doorway, her face drawn into a scowl. "Don't you have anything to wear to bed?" She looked pointedly down at my tee-shirt and underwear.

"Nope." I rolled over so I couldn't see her reaction. _Be nice. _I reminded myself, counting to ten before I spoke. "I get too hot at night to wear anything else."

"Oh," She seemed surprise by my answer. "Apparently you don't remember nights in La Push, then."

I turned and looked at what she was wearing- long flannel pants and a long-sleeved shirt. "I think I remember just fine. Maybe you're just used to being around Jared too much."

"What do you mean by that?" She asked, her facing paling considerably under her dark skin.

"I just meant that the boy is a human radiator." I looked at my sister's face, mentally comparing it to mine. Hers was much rounder, and her lips were bigger than mine. She had inherited Cheryl's small, dark eyes, surrounded by a thick frame of black lashes. We had the same wispy black hair and tiny, straight noses, though.

"Oh," She said again, turning down her comforter and sliding between the sheets.

"I don't mean everything as literally as you guys take it, you know." I pulled my comforter around me, preferring it to the scratchy sheets.

"Then you could try not being so crass all the time." She suggested, switching off the lap, but not before- much to my amusement- she picked up the framed picture on her bedside table and kissed it goodnight when she though I wasn't looking.

"Goodnight, Shannon. I'm glad you're here." She whispered into the darkness.

"Night, Kim." I couldn't repeat her second statement. "Hey Kim?"

"What?" She asked groggily, already half-asleep.

"Since when do we say Grace?"

"Since Mom remarried. Can I go to sleep now?"

"Do we go to church?" I whispered.

"No."

"Do we-"

"Go to sleep, Shannon!" She growled.

"Fine, fine. No need to be so crass." I smiled up at the ceiling. I would get my kicks where I could. La Push was turning out to be a very depressing place.

* * *

"School! Shannon, get your lazy butt out of bed or you're going to make us late!" Kim shoved one of my arms, possibly leaving bruises. 

"I'm not going." I grumbled, not yet completely awake. I skipped school all the time back in LA; I could afford to miss my first day here.

"Oh yes, you are. This isn't the city, Shan. The school here actually keeps track of us and calls when we don't show up." Kim explained, shaking my shoulder again.

"Oh, you have got to be fucking with me." I swatted a hand in her direction. "Let them call."

"Y-you can't…Mom and Dad are already at work. That means I'm in charge. Now, get up!"

"What do you mean Mom and _Dad_? Scott isn't your dad." I rolled up, completely awake now.

"I call him 'Dad'. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that he _isn't._" I hissed, getting defensive.

"Listen Shannon," She said slowly, as if she were speaking to a child. "Scott is here. He has a steady job, he loves Mom. Aaron lives in an apartment in California. He left Mom when you were five, spends all his time at a beach and who knows what he does for a living? Face it, Shan. He never really was the world's greatest dad." She threw a pair of jeans at me. "Get dressed. Jared will be here in a few minutes. He was nice enough to call and offer us a ride today." She tossed her thin hair, trying to create a dramatic exit.

"He has a job." I told the jeans in my lap. "And he's a wonderful dad." I tugged them on and rummaged through my closet for a sweatshirt. Kim was just mad that I had kept her up late last night with my questions.

"Shan? Come on! I made you breakfast."

"Coming, coming!" I swayed out into the kitchen, finger-combing my hair until it felt like it should look semi-decent.

"I'm going to go fix my hair. If Jared gets here, please, _please_ try to be nice to him." She rushed off,

I sat down at the table, staring at the plate in front of me with a sort of grim satisfaction.

As much as my sister claimed to dislike our father, she sure had inherited his talent for cooking. Or better yet, his lack of talent. We didn't eat Chinese Cuisine three days a week for no reason.

I picked op one of the pastries, turning it over in my fingers warily.

"Kim?" I could hear the front door being opened and then shut just before Jared stepped cautiously into the room, ducking under the archway.

"She's uh…freshening up." I nodded at him then back down to my plate, examining the pop tarts. The attraction I had felt towards him yesterday had diminished. He was with Kim.

Not only was he taken, but he clearly had poor taste.

"Oh," He cleared his throat. "Is it okay if I sit down, then?"

"Be my guest. This is more your house than it is mine." I broke one of the pastries in half and took a bite, immediately wishing I hadn't.

"What's wrong with your food?" He asked.

"I sincerely hope that you are not dating my sister with the expectation that one day she will be able to cook." Only Kim could mess up something that you put into a toaster. Was it even possible to burn the outside of the pop tart and leave the middle frozen?

He laughed. "I'll make sure to remember that."

"All ready to go?" Kim asked, suddenly bounding out of the hallway and into Jared's awaiting arms. I watched them kiss for a few seconds before I had to turn away.

It was the kind of thing you saw in those non-cheesy, romantic movies, not in real life. Jared had looked at Kim with such pure admiration in his eyes…I shook my head.

Small-town love. It wouldn't last past high school. No one was that lucky.

"Shannon! Where are your shoes? Come on, now!" She sighed in a motherly fashion and pulled my green sneakers out of the closet and handing them to me. "What did you do before you came to live here?"

"I skipped school a lot, slept in, went to wild parties every weekend, hung out in tattoo parlors, smoked weed, got matching piercings with boyfriends…you know, normal kid stuff." I bobbed my head and stuffed my feet into the shoes she had handed me, trying to hide my smile.

"Are you being serious?" Kim pulled away from her boyfriend to look at me.

"No," I shook my head. Only about half.

"Alright, you ready? Let's go." Kim led the way out the door, obviously fed up with my sense of humor already.

"Please, school," I whispered to myself as I made my way towards Jared's car. "Please don't suck."

* * *

It did. It was unbelievable how much it sucked. 

My math class was first, and I had been placed in Advanced Trig. Not only was the work unfamiliar, but I sat next to some peevishly annoying boy who wouldn't stop staring at me. Nobody would stop staring at me. I had gone through English, Biology, Art appreciation, Spanish II and double study hall feeling like a prisoner on death row.

The ride home after school didn't help, either. Since Jared worked right after class got out, Scott picked us up.

"Hey girls," He smiled at us through the window of his BMW. I shook my head and climbed into the back seat when Kim called the front.

Who the hell lived on an Indian reservation and drove a BMW?

"Thanks for picking us up, Dad." Kim shrugged out of her raincoat.

"Not a problem." He glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "You know, when it's nice out, I'll let you two walk home."

"Fantastic." I glanced back at the mirror.

"So, how was your first day at La Push High? Meet anybody interesting? Is it different than the school you went to in Los Angeles?" Scott asked me, pulling out of the parking lot. The sound of the rain hitting the roof and windshield of the car hurt my ears enough without his talking added to it.

"You could easily compare it to limbo." I said smugly.

"That's nice, isn't it? Who did you eat lunch with?"

"I err…skipped lunch."

"That's right. I looked for you and couldn't find you anywhere. I wanted to introduce you to the P- to Jared's friends." Kim beamed at my over the seat.

"So where did you go?" Scott shot me a suspicious look in the mirror again.

"I was talking to the biddy who teaches Spanish about her class." I lied. I had holed up in the girl's bathroom and taken a cigarette break. I didn't usually smoke, but all the stress had finally gotten to me.

"Please refrain from calling Ms. Partridge a 'biddy', Shannon. She's actually a very nice lady once you get to know her." Kim put in, her tone slightly defensive. "Just because you can't speak Spanish doesn't mean you have to act superior to her."

"She's insane." I stared at the back of Kim's head. "She belongs in the loony bin, for Christ's sake."

"She does not! You could learn a lot from her and the rest of the teachers if you decided to pay attention, you know. You aren't as stupid as you pretend to be."

"I do not pretend to be stupid and I do not have a problem learning Spanish." I grumbled, already antsy to escape from the car.

"Then why did you purposely fail last year? We did get a copy of your transcripts."

"It was the point of it all." I leaned forward curiously. "You read my high school transcripts? When?"

"I work in the office my last period. Since I'm a Junior now, I can trade in a class for extra credit helping out."

"That's ridiculous." I sat back, eying the car's interior.

Kim spoke up a second later, eager to talk to Scott. "Guess what Quil said today?"

"What did Quil say?" Scott seemed genuinely curious as we made the turn into our driveway.

"He said that Sam said that Jacob is back." She seemed enthralled. "Can you believe it? He's been gone for almost a year, you know Ever since Isabel left with Edward." She pulled her coat back on for the walk to the house. "It's good, though. Billy and the rest of the boys missed him. Maybe Jared can stop working as much now."

"Thanks for the ride, Scottie" I wanted to make sure he understood where he stood in my life.

"Not an issue, honey." I practically threw myself out of the car before it stopped. I was horrified he had called me 'honey' and couldn't stand listening to another word about Jared. "I won't be able to pick you up tomorrow, though. You'll have to walk home with your sister and her boyfriend."

"Dad! Not so loud." Kim whispered, blushing.

"Hey, I can be proud of my girl, can't I?" He chuckled.

It was the second time that day I had to keep control over my gag reflex. Tomorrow I was definitely skipping school, phone calls and Spanish teachers be damned.

* * *

AN: Ideas? Suggestions? PM me a message. Thanks for reading! 


	3. Meeting Jacob Black

**I don't even know.**

**Disclaimer here. Don't read if you're offended by mild swearing.  
**

**-Kiddo.**

* * *

Wednesday morning Kim took a different approach on waking me up.

"Shannon…get up, sleepy head." She leaned over me, her face unreadable.

"What is wrong with you?" I grumbled, annoyed by her theatrics. She was no more of a morning person than I was.

"Jared is here already and the rest of the gang are coming over before school to meet you!" She whispered excitedly, shaking my shoulder.

I blinked up into the sudden brightness when she flipped on the light. "What do you mean before school?" I sat up and tossed the blankets off. "What time is it?"

"Just after five."

"In the morning?" I asked in complete disbelief.

"Of course it's in the morning. Now get up! I can't have you being seen like this."

"Like what?"

She looked pointedly down at my underwear and tee-shirt. "Like _that._"

"Frankly, I don't give a damn. I'm going back to sleep." I pulled the covers back up over my legs and turned my face into the pillow.

"Fine. Be that way." Kim huffed, stalking out of the room.

"Amazing," I grunted into the pillow. Usually I had to fight tooth and claw to get my way around here. It was nice that she had given up so easily.

"Are you sure you want me to do that?" A deep voice interrupted my subconscious.

"One-hundred percent positive." A much lighter voice answered.

_Get out of my dreams. _I willed both of the voices, and then I was flying.

Or more correctly, I was falling. One second I was in my bed, warm and peaceful and in the next second I was hitting the cold wooden floor and jolted sharply out of my dreams.

"What the _fuck _do you think you're _doing_?" I demanded, thrashing off the barren floor and onto my feet.

"Sorry," Jared said quite sheepishly, setting my mattress back down. "Kim told me to do it." He turned his head away from my state of undress.

"Next time get up when I tell you." She smiled smugly.

I wanted to wipe it right off her face. How _dare _she tell her boyfriend to do that? Who the hell did she think she was?

"Now, if you don't mind," She tucked a strand of her thin hair back into its place and put her hands on her curvy hips. "Up and dressed." She paused, and wrinkled her nose, so identical to my own. "Maybe a shower first though."

"I don't think so." I crossed my arms, staring her down.

She looked pointedly at Jared before she spoke to me. "That is nonnegotiable."

"Wait, wait, wait. You can _not_ use your boyfriend to get me to do stuff. That is sacrilege." I couldn't believe she had sunk this low.

"Do it or I will have him do it for you. This is important, Shan. The gang is important to La Push. Believe it or not, what they think about you matters." She stood back, waiting.

"Unbelievable…the both of you." I picked up my robe and stalked past Jared. "Thanks a lot, Lurch."

* * *

I stood in the shower, my teeth chattering wildly. Kim had turned off the hot water after she realized I was just simply going to take as long a shower as needed in order to blow of meeting Jared's little 'gang'.

"Shannon! This is getting really, really stupid! Just get out and dressed and I promise I won't ask you to do anything else today." Kim called through the flimsy wooden door.

"Promise?" I shut off the water and flew into my bathrobe. I wasn't sure how long it would take until she sent Jared in here after me. I wasn't going to take my chances.

"I cross my heart and hope to die." She said, a bit overdramatically.

"Deal," I tied the robe and swung the door open. I would have hit her in the face with it, but Jared pulled her back in the nick of time.

Damn him. Damn him to eternity.

"I put some clothes out on your bed." She smiled, still safe in Jared's arms. "They're more…appropriate for meeting Sam and the boys."

"Great," I gave her a scary grin. If Jared weren't there I would have already gotten in my first punch.

I shook my head and slid into the bedroom, double checking to make sure the door was locked behind me.

It didn't matter. He had to leave her alone sometime.

After I looked what was on the bed, I hoped he would leave soon. There was no way in a million years I was wearing Kim's clothes.

"Not happening!" I fumed, rooting through my closet space. Empty. All of my clothes were gone.

"Hurry up, Shan. We still have to dry your hair." Kim called.

"Where are my goddamn clothes?!" I kicked the bed impatiently. They had to be around here somewhere.

"I have them here, with me."

"Good. Throw me a pair of pants, would you?"

"Put on the outfit."

"As I have told you before, it isn't happening." Thank God she had at least let me have my own underwear.

"Put it on or I'll have to do it for you. Jared is still here, you know."

"Does Jared like playing Barbies with you? Or is he just willing to do whatever you tell him? Because if that's the case, Jared, I know where there are some nice people who can help you. When she's not looking, run as fast as you can to the nearest phonebook you can find and look under 'Women's Clinic' or 'Help Now.' I know it sounds too good to be true, but they _can _help you. It isn't too late. The abuse has to stop and you need to take the first step."

"Shannon Roberta Decker!" I cringed when my sister used my full name. I wondered every day how my mother could have found that beautiful.

"Yes?"

"Put on the clothes and get out here!" My sister bellowed, all shyness gone.

"I will never forgive you." I told her, tugging on the gray skirt and yanking it down until it reached my knees. A white tee-shirt and a darker gray cable knit sweater over that. I shoved the pantyhose aside.

Like those were really going to keep my legs from getting wet in a place like La Push.

As soon as I unlocked the door Kim shoved it into me, quickly grabbing my arm and hustling me into the bathroom, her motions nervous and twitchy as she ran the blow-dryer over my hair.

"Why are these guys so important?" I asked, stealing the handle from her and going to work on my own hair while she fussed with my face.

"The whole community looks up to them. How would it look if my long-lost baby sister walked into the room in a pair of jeans with the knees torn out and a Beatles shirt on? Bad." She told me when I didn't answer.

I was going to say, '_Like herself.'_

But apparently, today I wasn't.

"Almost done," She but her bottom lip and applied another coat of mascara over my eyelashes. "Perfect." She smiled and spun me to look in the mirror. I could have passed for her twin if our faces weren't so differently featured.

"I look…very clean." I admitted, trying not to spoil the moment for her. The second Kim, Jared and his little 'gang' left, I was escaping out the bathroom window.

"You look much prettier than usual." She said, smiling at herself in the mirror. "Now that that's done, we can go wait out in the living room with Jared." She smiled and waltzed out, seeming very pleased about my transformation.

I chuckled and leaned closer into the mirror. "I'm going to thump her." I told my reflection and then gave myself a wink before following her to the living room.

"Ready then, Shannon?" Jared asked me when I plopped down in the armchair opposite the one they were curled up together in.

"Oh, am I ever. Are you?" I smiled politely.

"Did you brainwash her?" Jared asked Kim, his brow crinkled in confusion.

"I tried." Kim admitted, twining her arms around his neck.

"I can't believe you went long with this." He told me, breaking into a wide grin.

"She's not near as bad as they make her out to be" Kim told him, her eyes still firmly locked on his face.

I smiled back and dig my fingers into the leather of the chair until they hurt. If they thought I was going to buckle this easily then they had another thing coming.

"I didn't think she was." He leaned over to kiss her and she practically flew out of his lap.

"Not in front of people! Jared," She whispered, much to my amusement. That was the shy little Kim I knew and loved.

"She doesn't care." Jared snorted, but rolled to his feet all the same. "Sam is here."

"How do you know that?" I asked curiously, looking around for any indication that there were people at the door. Surely I didn't miss the bell.

"I can hear them walking up."

"How? It's only pouring down rai-" I was cut off as Kim pulled me out of my chair, brushing off my clothes and smoothing my hair.

"Aright," She nodded to Jared and he opened the door, revealing six very tall, very dark boys. And, to my immediate irritation, not a single one of them had on more than a pair of cut-off jeans. A few of them were shirtless.

And I was standing next to my sister, dressed like I belonged in the Partridge family, feeling like a complete idiot.

Jared nodded to the boys as if they were sharing a secret. "Who's working?"

"Just Collin and Jacob." The man in front answered, his voice deep and earth-shaking.

"Jake?"

"He's fine…Better then fine."

"That kid is something else."

"Are you on for tonight?"

Kim slid forward as Jared said something about being late. She placed her hand on my shoulders, refusing to let me move.

The man looked at me for a second. "Is this your sister?"

"No," I whispered under my breath, almost positive he couldn't hear me.

"This is Shannon." Kim smiled. I could feel her tense behind me.

"Sam Uley," The man who had spoken to Jared took my hand in his and pumped it up and down, his face calm and serene. Not in the waterfall way, though. More in the 'if you do anything wrong I will haul you over the coals' sort of way. "And these boys are Quil, Embry, Paul, Seth and Collin."

'Shannon," I confirmed, feeling dwarfed by the sheer amount of space the men took up in our living room. It was disorienting how enormous they all were.

The brawny boy, Quil, was the first to shake my hand. "It's nice to meet you." He stepped back towards the couch and sat down, causing the floor to quiver slightly.

Embry waved a quick hello before joining his friend, while Paul, Collin and Seth all gave me a quick handshake and a smile.

They were all unbelievably _warm,_ as well as large. It must have been a La Push thing. Or perhaps they were like that group of kids who used to live next door and did too many drugs and could no longer maintain a regular body temperature.

"Excuse me," I told the boys who were sitting around on all the furniture and turned back down the hall, dodging Jared, Sam and Kim along the way.

"Where do you think your going?" Kim hissed at me as I slid past.

"Bathroom," I flashed her my most apologetic grin and pushed through the door, kicking it shut behind me.

"She doesn't seem like she would be trouble." I could hear Sam's deep voice through the crack under the door.

"Seems that way, doesn't it?" Kim sighed.

"She won't be, I don't think. I just want to make sure we keep an eye out for her, considering what's been going on lately and how little she knows about it." Jared's voice, and then a sigh.

What was with all the hopelessness that surrounded me?

I dug through the dirty laundry hamper, rooting out a pair of jeans from yesterday and a sweatshirt from my first day here. I was going to smell horrible, but at least I would be comfortable.

Sam and Jared's voices floated under the door, but I ignored them. I didn't care what anyone had to say. I was pigheaded like that.

I pulled off the clothes Kim had given me and shoved them into the hamper near the bottom. With any luck she wouldn't find them for a few days and by then they would be hopeless.

I had seen my means of escape during my shower. There was a long, thin rectangle window just above the toilet that looked like a chimp could fit through.

"Been worse," I told myself, climbing up onto the back of the toilet and standing on my tip-toes to open the creaky window. It screeched its protest as I pushed it up.

"Shannon? You alright…?" Kim called, her voice more wary then concerned.

"Yeah, just err…a little sick." I lied, pulled myself up to the window and sliding through carefully.

"Oh! We were going to head down to Sam's before school." She sounded disappointed.

"I should be alright in a bit. Why don't you guys head to Sam's and I'll meet you at school? The walk will do me good." I shifted my weight so I wasn't completely on my back. "Sometimes this happens when my blood sugar gets low." I bit my lip, teetering through the window. Anyone who walked by would see some girls legs dangling out of the side of the house.

"Are you sure? I haven't seen Emily in forever…but I could stay." Kim sounded hesitant and I knew I had her where I wanted her.

"I'll be out in a minute and I'll just walk, don't worry about it." I assured her, smiling sweetly to myself. And then I jumped.

It is a true blessing that nobody in La Push had enough money to build anything more than a one-story rectangle. My fall was short and I landed in the springy grass with a small splash. Perfect.

I gave a short wave in the direction of our house as Kim mumbled a goodbye to the empty bathroom, and then sprinted off towards the forest, feeling optimistic. I had forgotten about shoes, but I had brought a pack of cigarettes I had taped to the back of the mirror, and I wasn't going to have to sit though school today.

High school was a waste. They didn't have anything to teach me that I couldn't learn on my own.

I sighed and strolled through the woods, taking my time to relax and enjoy the outdoors. It was the first day since I got here that it wasn't raining. I'm not saying there was any hint of sunshine, just that it didn't feel like I had stepped into a shower wearing my clothes.

There was a sense of freedom as I leaned against one of the huge trees and tapped the pack of cigarettes on my wrist before taking one out and lighting it. The world was no longer biting at my heels. No Kim, no Mom, no Scott.

I exhaled. Scott had been even more difficult than before. He insisted on knowing everything about my day, my homework, teachers, and classmates. He wanted to know the difference between all of it compared to what I had in LA. It was like he was trying to ask if La Push was better, if he was better.

Well, he was certainly much more nosey.

I tossed down the end of my cigarette, dashing out the ashes with a quick swipe of my foot. I had to be careful not to singe any of my toes.

"You know, that's called littering."

I spun around, clutching my chest where my heart had practically jumped out of when he spoke.

_He_ was tall. Amazingly tall. Taller than the Sam guy who had been in the living room this morning. But more than tall, he looked…dangerous, or maybe even crazy. He was in need of a good meal or five, his hair had gone too long without a proper cut, and his eyes were hollow, almost dead in the dark light of the forest.

"Who are you?" I demanded, taking in his ragged appearance. Maybe he was the village freak. Like Boo Radley in _To Kill a Mockingbird _or whatever that book was.

He looked down at me and choked slightly.

"Are you mute, now?" I demanded, slightly ashamed that someone had caught me.

He shook his head furiously, his eyes wide and slightly erratic. He looked like he was about to have a seizure. "No," He hardly whispered it.

"Alright," I took a step back. "I think I'm going to go back to my house. It's in that direction." I waved my arm behind my head before I realized that I had no idea just where I was…just somewhere in the woods with some strange man.

"Wrong way," His voice was deeper now, more sure. He looked like he had recovered from whatever had thrown him off in the first place. "You're Shannon, Kim's little sister, aren't you?"

"Possibly. Who are you?" I took another wary step back.

"Jacob Black." He held out one of his extremely large hands for me to shake.

"Sam's pal?" I took his offered hand surprised and debating on how I could have remembered that. I hadn't even been paying attention.

He smiled slightly. "Something like that."

"Oh," I managed, feeling rather tongue-tied.

His attitude changed the second he let go of my hand. "Smoking is bad for your health." He scowled at the pack in my hands and reached out as if he wanted me to give him a low-five.

"Like I haven't heard that one before," I rolled my eyes and popped another into my mouth.

"Give them to me." It was a command.

"What the hell? Why do you care?" I patted down my pockets, searching for my lighter.

"I don't think you should smoke anymore." His eyes narrowed even further. "Your…health is important now."

"Because it wasn't before?" I looked at him in disbelief. I had known some weirdoes in my day, but this guy took the cake. He had gone from total asshole, to total over-protective asshole in a matter of seconds.

"It is now."

"Tough luck, buddy." I reached up to light my cigarette, and the next thing I knew it was gone and he was holding it in one of his extremely large hands.

"Whoa! What the fuck?" I turned towards him, furious.

"That solves that." He crushed the remaining pack in his hand until he was sure they were all broken and then let the jumbled ball of tobacco and paper fall to the ground.

"That's called littering, you know." I spat and stalked off towards the denser part of the forest.

"You're going to get lost." He said, as if he were talking to a child.

"Why don't you get lost?" I ducked under a large branch, ignoring the sticks that scraped along my cheeks and got caught in my hair. By the time I got out of here I was surely going to look like bush woman.

"You can't go in there, Shannon. It isn't safe." He grabbed one of my arms and began dragging me back towards the way I came.

"I am not going back to the house. No way, no how," I fought against him, but he was so big that it was like a mosquito fighting an elephant.

He chuckled and a spark flashed through his dead eyes, making them dance slightly. I could almost see the person he must have been at one time.

"Alright, this has gone on far enough." I hooked my feet under a log. "Let me _go._"

He sighed. "I'll break your ankles if you don't let go." He tugged lightly. "I don't want to hurt you." The idea seemed to pain him.

"Then I highly suggest you let go."

"Are you always this difficult?" He narrowed his eyes, but his mouth twitched as if he was trying not to smile.

"Yes. Always." I yanked my arm out of his sweltering grip.

"No wonder," He sighed and shook his head, his matted hair whipping around his face. "We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way, but I refuse to leave you out here on your own. You could be hurt."

"I think I'll survive." I crossed my arms in front of my chest.

"The hard way it is." He sighed again and swung his giant arms around me, pulling me up to his chest and carrying my bridal-style.

"You bastard! Put me down! Oh, no…" I closed my eyes and kicked, feeling helpless.

It was possibly the first time I noticed what he was wearing. Or more importantly, what he wasn't wearing. He was dressed the same as the boys were earlier. Just a pair of cut-off jeans, no shirt, no shoes.

"Stop kicking, would you? Jeez. As if this wasn't hard enough already," He complained, but didn't seem to notice how much I weighed as he walked briskly through the forest. "There are things out here. Things that little girls, such as yourself, should never have to worry about." He was beginning to sound more and more like Sam had.

"Could you just put me down? Please?" I begged, my hands latched firmly over my eyes.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I hate heights."

He roared with laughter. "I'm only six foot seven."

"That's too tall," I whispered, feeling the beads of sweat break out on my forehead. The nerves and his combined heat must have done that.

"So what were you doing out here? Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Probably," I grumbled, ignoring his first question. What was I supposed to say?_'Oh yeah, I was escaping from my controlling sister, useless mother and asshole step-father by walking to California.'_

"Sam isn't going to be happy with you, you know." He sounded rather resigned.

"Am I supposed to care what he thinks?" I let a drop of sarcasm leak into my voice.

"It might make your life easier if he liked you." Jacob suggested, breaking through a few low hanging braches. "Here we are."

It took my hands away from my eyes to look at where we were. "This isn't my house."

"No, it's Sam and Emily's place." He set me down.

"No," I spun around towards the trees, but he caught me before I could go anywhere.

"The firing squad inside the house is much safer. Trust me." He began walking, still dragging me along.

"I hate you," I struggled, but again, it was a lost cause.

"That's nice," He threw open the blue door to revel a kitchen crammed full of surprised faces, my sister in the middle.

"Oh, kill me now…" I whispered, looking at the floor.

"Hello," He stepped inside cheerfully. "Are we in time for breakfast?"


	4. Trouble Already

**Sorry for any mistakes. I haven't been feeling up to par lately. **

* * *

Jacob didn't seem fazed by the amount of people staring at us from inside the house as he toted me into the room.

"This is cozy, isn't it? I wouldn't mind a bit of elbow room, though." Jacob admitted dragging me towards Sam and Jared, who were gaping down at me.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked, befuddled. Perhaps he was rethinking his earlier assumption of me. '_She doesn't seem like she'd be much trouble…'_

"Ah, I found her taking a little walk and we decided to join you." Jacob smiled with his lips tightly closed.

_Please don't mention smoking, please don't mention smoking, _I chanted in my head, trying to compose myself. This was just as big a shock to me as it was them.

This Jacob fellow was definitely not high up on my list.

"I thought you were _sick_." Kim had ducked behind Jared, but had now reappeared. If she was a cartoon character, smoke would be coming out of her ears. She was furious, but her polite manners kept her from expressing it.

"I was! Then when I got better I began to walk to school and got lost and you know, couldn't find my way out so then I ran into this…" I looked Jacob up and down for a brief second, trying to find the appropriate word. "…guy and err…ended up here." I nodded, knowing I was in so deep shit. "Yeah…fuck." I whispered.

"Thankfully Jacob found you then, isn't it?" Sam looked at Jacob, his eyes erratic.

"Oh, yeah, absolutely," I bit my lip and looked down at my filthy feet.

"Where are your shoes, Shan?" Kim huffed. "Only you would forget something like that. Let's just head home and we can get you cleaned up in time for school."

"Hello? What's the commotion in here?" A light voice floated out from all the bodies and an extremely pretty girl appeared, startling me. Her face was deformed on one side by three very long, painful-looking scars.

"Nothing to get upset over," Sam placed a hand on the girls shoulder protectively.

I cringed at the girl's face and immediately shunned myself for doing so.

"Just Kim's sister." Jared muttered, shaking his head.

"Ah, this is the one who I've been hearing so much about, then?" She hummed lightly, looking at Jacob the same way Sam had before. Then she looked down at my hand and a smile lit up her face as if she had gotten some incredibly good news. "Wonderful," She smiled and ducked back into what I assumed was a kitchen. "I'll be right out with breakfast!"

"Good to meet you, too." I scowled at the doorway all the boys had blocked again.

"That's Emily," Jacob explained lightly.

"Oh, yeah?" I noticed what she had been staring at earlier- my hand was still immersed in Jacob's. I yanked it away quickly and shoved in to my jeans pocket. No matter how good he looked, he was still an ass for pulling that little stunt in the woods.

"She and Sam are getting married this fall." Kim told me, eyeing Jared wistfully. I had to hold back a retort.

"That's nice," I slid backwards, my hands still in my pockets. Everyone in the room was staring at me now, as if I was a new toy.

"Where do you think you're going?" Jacob grabbed one of my arms and dragged me back to his side, then started talking to two of the boys again.

I seethed. "Let go!" I tried to pry his fingers away from my arm, but they were like iron.

"So you can go running out the door and get yourself killed?" He snorted as if that was exactly what I planned to do. "I don't think so."

"Get off of me!" I twisted, but he didn't budge. "You are such a bastard!" I turned to my sister. "Do you see what he's doing? Kim! Are you even paying attention? This is abuse, you know."

"Then stop struggling," Jared suggested, not breaking eye-contact with Kim.

"I wasn't talking to you, Lurch." I growled, still wiggling.

"I see you're blood sugar is better now." He smirked slightly. He must have smelled the remains of smoke wafting off my sweatshirt and jeans.

Kim's lips moved rapidly, but she whispered so I couldn't hear what she was saying. Jared answered her, not bothering to keep his voice down. Kim was looking more and more excited by the minute.

I spun towards the rest of the room, all of those who were staring at me before were in deep conversations with each other now. Every so often they would glance at me, smile, then go back to their private chats.

It was infuriating. I was obviously missing something…something big.

"So is anyone going to tell me what the hell is going on here? Or am I just going to stand here on display for the next hour and a half?" I interrupted Jacob's conversation.

"You're obviously on display." He looked down at me, his eyes suddenly lighting up. "So be a good little mannequin and look pretty."

"You bastard," I stamped on his foot without luck.

"That's not helping anyone, Shannon." The tallest of the boys he was talking to chuckled at my antics. I quickly recognized him as the boy who had almost broken our couch- Quil.

"Yeah, well if he would let go that would certainly help _me._" I felt like fighting was hopeless, plus my arm was getting sore.

"You're quite defiant, you know that?" The other boy gave me a small smile that lit up his long face.

"So I've heard." I gave one last hard tug before giving up.

Jacob immediately let me go. "Now don't go running off anywhere, Shannon. I'll just have to hunt you down again."

I snorted, ignoring the glare from my sister. "Right," I nodded, not admitting I had planned on doing just that.

"You're going to be a challenge, but don't worry about that." He gave me a wink. "I like that in a girl."

"That's not the only thing you'd like in a girl." Quil muttered, looking up at the ceiling.

"Shut up, Arteara." Jacob smacked him.

"I'm just saying!" He laughed and Embry joined in, making me feel even more uncomfortable.

I had to get out of this place as soon as possible.

* * *

"That was nice, wasn't it? I mean, none of us have ever seen Jake so happy." Kim told me breathlessly as we walked through the front door. She paused to wave at Jared as he pulled out of the driveway.

"Who's Jake?" I grunted, pulling my sweatshirt off my head and tossing it onto the floor.

"Jacob, of course. He got his heart broken by a girl and that's why he left last-" She turned to look at me and her mouth popped open, making her look like a goldfish. "You can't get undressed in the front hall!"

"Watch me." I pulled the damp shirt over my head and threw it down next to my other discarded clothes.

"Someone could see you!" Kim panicked, her hands flying to her face.

"Who cares?" I unbuttoned my jeans and shimmied out of them.

"I do! And Jake might care, too." She stared at me, standing mostly naked in our front hall. "For your information."

"Don't care what you think," I kept my underwear on and opened the hall closet to look for my garbage bag of clothes I knew Kim had hidden there. "Definitely don't care what Jake thinks."

"You should!" She followed me to our bedroom, still set on convincing me. "You two would be really great together, you know. Mom and Dad would love that."

"I'm sure Mom and _Scott _would absolutely shit and die from the pure happiness that it would bring to them, but I have to pass. He isn't my type." I ripped open the bag and dumped my clothes on my bed, pillaging through the mass. "Thank God at least one of us was gifted with a brain."

"Oh," She frowned at the mess of clothes, completely ignoring my jab. "Believe me, he is exactly your type. He does not get any more your type."

"That's too bad, isn't it? I mean, considering I am completely, absolutely, positively not interested." I pulled on a pair of black skinny jeans and a tank top.

"You're being retarded. Jake is like…the Romeo to your Juliet. You two would be absolutely perfect." She sighed and sat on her bed while I zipped up my green jacket.

"You know they died at the end of that play, right?" I pulled on my socks and shoved my feet into my shoes, slightly amused by Kim's ranting.

"You know what I mean." She sighed and smoothed her skirt before looking at my ensemble. "You could dress a little nicer for school."

"Just tell everyone I'm colorblind." I picked up the new backpack that Scott had bought me- I had never used one before- and headed out the door with Kim right on my heels.

"I might have to." She stopped to lock the front door behind us and then jogged a little to catch up with me. "Remember when we used to do this all the time? When we were little? Mom and Dad would leave for work and then we would walk to La Push Elementary together in the morning." She chuckled at the memory.

"That was a different life time under different circumstances." I brushed away the thought of happier times; My Mom smiling and packing us our lunches, Dad picking us up everyday after school in his pickup truck…not a BMW.

"But it was still nice." She sighed. "We used to have matching lunchboxes and you wanted to be just like me. Remember when you had that huge crush on-"

"Cut it out, okay?" I began to walk faster.

"Fine," We walked a few more steps in silence before she began again. "So what is your type, exactly?"

"Not Jake."

"Oh, be reasonable. Short boys? Tall boys? Fit? Skinny? Smart? Funny?" She pumped me for information.

"Girls," I told her, smirking.

She choked on her own spit. "What? Oh, you're kidding."

"Obviously,"

"Anyways," Kim took a minute to get back on track. "So why don't you like Jacob? We could double. I'm serious. He and Jared are like brothers, you know. Oh! And maybe even Sam and Emily."

"No," I shook my head.

"Well, I'll call Jared and he can drop by with Jake after school." She smiled to herself and I could see the cogs turning in her mind. "Just in case,"

"Can you just drop it? It's not happening, Kim."

"I'm so sorry for trying to be happy, Shannon. Obviously I'm going to hell for it, aren't I? At least by your book," Kim held out her hands to the sky as if she was talking to the clouds.

"You don't get it, do you?" I didn't turn around. "Our lives would still be like that if Scott hadn't come out of nowhere and ruined everything."

"Scott ruined everything?" Kim shook her head in disgust. "Did you even get the whole story, Shan? Do know why Mom married Scott? Why you came to stay with us? Have you seen Mom lately? Have you noticed how incredibly happy she is? She didn't used to be like that."

"Fuck off," I suggested, speeding up when I could see the school ahead of us. It was torture, but it was also eight blessed hours without having to deal with my family life.

"That was really mature!"

"I know, right?" I called back, giving her a short wave and trotting up the steps into the red brick building.

* * *

I made it to my first class with minutes to spare. In all my life I could never remember showing up to high school on time, let alone early. It was odd watching all of my peers filter into the classroom as I waited.

A boy with fly-away ginger hair was the last one to take his seat. When he saw me staring, he winked at me before turning towards the front of the classroom.

I scowled down at my desk, annoyed with his actions. He was the same one who had been giving a week's worth of dentations last class for being tardy.

"Hola la clase," Ms. Partridge walked into the class room, her over-sized bag tucked under her arm. "Please open your texts to page two hundred and twenty."

I open my book and stared down at the pages before resting the side of my face on the paper on my desk. It wasn't as soft as my pillow, or even a rock, but it was all that I had.

There was a time in my life when I really did pay attention in school, but right now the only thing I wanted to pay attention to was whatever my subconscious mind came up with.

* * *

"Miss Shannon?" A ruler hit on the desk next to my face, causing me to jump in my seat. "Are you with us today?"

"Obviously," I groaned, stretching my arms high over my head. I was well aware that every pair of eyes in the room were glued to me.

"Then perhaps you would like to translate the writing on the board." Ms. Partridge crossed her large arms over her equally large bosom.

"Err…No, but thanks for the offer." I watched her face go from sallow white to bright red within a matter of seconds.

"Pardon me?"

"No. Thanks." I spoke slowly, emphasizing my words. I could hear the class snickering around me, but I held my ground. I couldn't back out now.

"Translate the board." Her voice was as stiff as mine was relaxed.

"Let me make this very clear to you, alright?" I stared at her, lowering my voice until only the people at the surrounding desks could hear. "I refuse to answer that in front of the entire class and most certainly embarrass the hell out of myself just because you think I need punished. Do you like making little children feel bad about themselves? Is that why you became a teacher? If so let me be the first to applaud you. I love it when people like you find pleasure in my misery. It just makes me feel so…educated."

"You…insolent, unappreciative child…"

I raised my eyebrows, waiting for her to say something. "Or did you need me to say _that _in Spanish for you to understand it?" I clucked my tongue against my teeth and proceeded to do so, much to the rest of the classes' amusement.

She looked truly shell-shocked for a moment before regaining her thoughts. "Detention," She blinked furiously. "You…out…now." She pointed one of her sausage fingers at the door.

"With pleasure," I stood up, sliding my books into my backpack and flashed her a small smile. "Until tomorrow," I practically floated out the door.

The walk to the office was one of slight joy and more than slight regret. My mother would kill me and Scott would buy a book on teenage therapy. Kim would die of embarrassment, but it was well worth seeing the look on that biddy's face in there.

I slouched into the office and fell into one of the gray and red waiting chairs.

"How may I help you?" The receptionist looked up from her solitaire game with a pair of dreary brown eyes.

"Kicked out of Spanish class," I nodded as if this was normal.

"Partridge?"

"Yes sir," I stood up and took the piece of paper she had been filling out.

"After your last class turn that in to the teacher in room C105. If you skip it you get double." She turned back to her computer game of cards, ignoring the phone that was ringing right beside her.

"Thanks," I gave her a small salute and walked out without any trouble. Of all the people I'd met in La Push so far, she was definitely my favorite.

* * *

**AN: I have no idea why it took me so long to write this. No inspiration, I suppose. Yes, I do speak Spanish, but I didn't have the patience (nor time) to write all of that out. I can't spell any of it. Besides, who would have read it? Not me. **


	5. Gabe

It has been FOREVER.

Ps. thanks guys. Gotta hate me some spell check.

-kiddo

* * *

I drummed my fingers loudly across the dark-stained desk I was sitting at. There were several other kids in detention with me, including the ginger-haired boy who I had Spanish with this morning.

The teacher who was forced to watch us was flipping through his book, his face unreadable. From the material he was reading and the whistle around his neck, I could clearly peg him as the coach of a team or a gym teacher.

"That was a nice move you pulled back there, new girl."

"Pardon?" I raised one of my eyebrows at the boy next to me.

He smiled and brushed a chunk of his gingery hair out of his face, reveling two of the bluest eyes I had ever seen. "In Ms. Partridge's class," He glanced at the teacher to make sure he wasn't listening. "A little dramatic with the added swear words in Spanish, but all in all it was very well done."

"Thank you," I scowled at the clock as it slowly made its way to four. Secretly I was pleased someone else taken heart to my little speech.

"I'm Gabe, by the way." He offered, giving me a smile.

"Good for you," I smirked at the front of the classroom, not bothering to hide my face.

He sighed, but didn't stop smiling. "Normally that gives you the pleasure of introducing yourself to me."

"Well, these aren't normal circumstances, are they?" I tilted my head at the supervising teacher.

"You're sister is Kim? Dates that big, dark guy, right?" He was persistent, I would give him that.

"My, oh my, aren't we observant?" I tore my eyes away from the clock to find him still staring at me.

"Hmm…Which means you're the reason she was having a fit in the parking lot when you weren't there. She mentioned murder and the like. Not even her boyfriend could get her calmed down."

"She's going to have a conniption later." I gave a small laugh just thinking about it. "Did they wait long for me?"

"Nope," He leaned back in his seat. "She hopped in the cay with the guy and they went off and left poor you here all alone."

I snorted at his comment. "That's just too bad."

"Isn't it? Now you'll have to walk home in the rain." He looked as if he was considering something for a moment. "Or I could give you a ride…"

"In your car," I confirmed, considering the double meaning.

He chuckled softly. "Yes, in my car…For a price."

"Not happening," I looked back up at the teacher who had fallen asleep and was snoring loudly.

"Are you sure? It's a downpour out there." He twirled a pen between his fingers, still grinning.

"I'm not into casual sex." I explained calmly, tracing the word '_FUCK' _that someone had carved into the desk I was sitting at.

"Oh? What kind of sex are you into, then?"

"The deep and meaningful kind?" I lied. I wasn't into sex at all.

"I can be deep and meaningful. Give me five minutes to get into character." He shot back, refusing to pass up a good fight.

"How long are you going to last after five minutes?" It was light and superficial. Of all the things I had been accused of, a slut was not one of them.

"Ouch," Gabe looked wounded for a second. "No, but really," He coughed into his fist. "I'm not asking a ride for a ride, but it does seem fair, doesn't it? All I want is one date."

"A date?" I snorted again.

"Is that so hard to believe? And so be it if the date ends with sex,_ I_ certainly won't be complaining."

I smirked at the clock, still trying to ignore him. He was making it exceedingly difficult for me. "It's not happening, but you can still give me a ride home."

"It's all or nothing, sweetheart."

"Then its nothing."

"You win," Gabe sat back in his seat. "No date, alright?" I smirked. "But I'm still giving you a ride home. I don't want one of those Quilute boys beating the shit out of me for leaving you stranded in the rain. If you had any human compassion you would take pity on me and simply agree to take me up on the offer."

I pretended to ponder the question. "You know where I live, right?"

"I wouldn't get lost, if that's what you're asking. I've been out to drop off things of Kim's before." He caught my look of surprise and gave me a fox-like grin. "Purely educational reasons, believe me. We're in Politics together."

"Ah," I watched the teacher groan and shift around in his seat. Something told me I didn't want to know what was going on under that desk. "Will he wake up anytime soon? I really have to get home."

"Nah, we could leave early. Coach would sleep through an earthquake. Tomorrow morning the janitor will probably find him here, still sleeping like a log." Gabe stood and stretched.

"Let's blow this popsicle stand." I told him, following him out of the room.

"I have something much more interesting for you to blow, but I don't do that upon the first time I meet someone. People might get the wrong impression, you know?" Gabe's legs were much longer than my own, and I had to walk faster than usual to keep up with him. Even though he was tall, he didn't hold a candle to Jacob.

We ran through the parking lot that had already begun to flood. I could feel the water soaking through my shoes and down into my thick socks. It felt like I was wearing a pair of washcloths on my feet, not comfortable at all.

Gabe didn't seem to mind the three inches of water as much as I did. He was wearing combat boots and I was willing to bet my last paycheck he was warm and toasty in them while I took his own sweet time fumbling through his keys to unlock the car.

"Hurry up!" I finally lost my patience.

He had the audacity to laugh at me. "Listen, Kim's little sister, I'm working as fast as I can here. Give me a break, would you?"

"Is there any way you could work a little faster? My pants are getting waterlogged."

"Maybe if you told me your name I would be inclined to hurry this little operation up, what do you think?"

"Open the fucking door! I'm not in the mood to play games, alright?"

He raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Name please,"

"Shannon!" I gave in and he hit the unlock button on his key fob. "Took you fucking long enough," I slid in, smirking at the fact that I was getting his good leather interior all wet.

"That's a pretty name." He said, absent-mindedly. With his left hand he started the car and fiddled with the vents so that they were pointed on me and blowing heat. It felt like heaven.

"Whatever you say, buddy. Just get me back to my house so I can get out of these clothes." I toed my shoes off and glanced at him grinning wickedly. "That wasn't an invitation, by the way."

He threw the car into reverse and pulled out of the parking lot. "You can't blame me for what comes naturally, you know."

"And what's that?"

"Wistful thinking."

I snorted in an unladylike fashion and crossed my arms over my chest. This was going to be a long drive home.

* * *

He took the long way home. Strangely enough, the drive was pleasant after Gabe cut it out with some of the innuendo. I found myself feeling like I was back in Los Angels and driving around with my dad or one of my friends, and I felt happy. He was easy to get along with when he wasn't trying to worm his way into my pants.

"And _that, _little girl, is why we should be the best of friends." He sighed and pulled into my driveway.

"Because you have a car?" I smirked and gathered my discarded shoes and washcloth-esqe socks. "I need a better reason than that."

"Well, how about that I'm a really good kisser and I know how to separate a friendship from se-"

"No." I slid out of the car, grateful that it had stopped raining.

"There is one more reason!" Gabe called after me, leaning towards the open window.

"And what is that?" I crooked an eyebrow, walking backwards.

"Your sister hates me."

I had a feeling this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

"Shannon! Where have you? Jake and Jared and I have been waiting here for over an hour!"

Only Kim could ruin a moment like this.


	6. AUTH NOTE

News Blip:

Just got back for an extended vacation. Don't know if anyone is still following, but if you are I plan to update stories within the next week or so. Thanks for reading!

-Kiddo


	7. Coffee

Hey guys! I'm sorry you've had to wait so long for this. I'm trying to get back into writing with these charactors so pardon me for the next chapter or two if it's a little rusty!

* * *

I clambered out of Gabe's car, feeling dismal under the glares of the three people waiting inside the door. Every single time I came home I was greeted with a welcoming committee. Surely this was not the way things done in La Push all the time. I would go stark raving mad if I didn't get some alone time soon.

"Hey, I am talking to you," Kim glared at me, her voice an octave higher than usual. "Shannon, who drove you here? Whose car is that?" She glanced up at Jared, then Jacob as if she was the one who had been late.

Gabe rolled down his window as I got out of the car. "Think about what I said, alright? Later babe!"

I waved at Gabe's retreating car, hiding a grin. He seemed nice enough, and would probably be as close to normal as I could find around a place like this.

I pulled my coat up, ready to shield myself from the rain, but there was already an umbrella above me, being held up way too high over my head. "Uh, thanks I think." I murmured to Jacob, unsure of how to proceed with this charade.

"I don't want you to get sick. In California you probably didn't have a lot of rain," Jacob mumbled beside me, keeping the umbrella directly above me. In his hand it looked like a children's toy parasol.

"Wait, how do you know I'm from California? Lurch tell you?" I scowled at the door.

"Lurch?" He looked puzzled until I jabbed a thumb towards Jared. "Oh, no I've been hearing about you for weeks now. You're town gossip in case you didn't know."

"Oh good, that's so good."

"Shannon, was that Gabe Miller's car that you just came out of?" Kim looked less peeved and more like a concerned mother hen.

I slid in past my sister and Jared, leaving Jacob to deal with the umbrella by himself. "No, it was a spaceship. Yes, it was a car and yes, it was driven by a boy named Gabe."

Kim grabbed my wrist on my way past, her eyes wide. "He's bad news, Shan. Trust me."

I stopped and stared down at her hand on my arm. "Yeah, I can see how you would say that as I met him in detention. He doesn't like you either." Jared let out a low growl. "Down boy, control yourself." I waved at them both, trying to act if I wasn't slightly touched by my sister's concern.

Jacob had closed the umbrella and set it by the door to dry and was now resting his two large hands on Jared's shoulders. I made my way into the kitchen, unconcerned. Maybe they had a thing.

I was making a fresh pot of coffee when Jacob walked into the kitchen behind me, effectively scaring me into pouring ground coffee beans down the front of my sweater.

"Brilliant," I pulled the cable knit fishermen's' atrocity over my head and tossed it into the laundry room that connected to the kitchen.

"Sorry," Jacob leaned back against the counter next to the oven, taking up a decent portion of the kitchen. "I didn't mean to sneak up on you."

"Well you did. Shifting around this house like a silent Godzilla. How did you anyways? You're just so… large." I finished, not knowing how else to quantify his size.

"I've always been quiet." He plucked two mugs off of my mother's drying rack and placed them next to the coffee maker. "Do you take cream and sugar?"

"Just cream," I was surprised by his semi-domestic actions. "But I think the only thing in the fridge is almond milk or something like that. My mom and Kim are lactose intolerant."

"Good enough," Jacob pulled the carton of almond milk out of the fridge. "So you're not?"

"I'm not what?" I poured coffee into both the cups, careful not to spill this as well.

"Lactose intolerant. Isn't it usually a family thing?" He added a splash of milk to mine and a long pour into his.

"Well that's not very manly, is it?" I raised my eyebrows at the amount of milk he poured into his cup. "And I wouldn't know. I'm no doctor and I hardly ever do what my family does."

"Is that by choice?"

"It isn't by accident." I snapped, feeling defensive. What was this? He holds an umbrella over my head and he can psychologist his way through my life? I didn't think so.

"Sorry. I was just asking, no need to get defensive."

I was annoyed to see that he didn't look remorseful in the least. He simply blew on his coffee and then took a swig. "Besides, I can't help who I am anymore than you can help who you are. A giant."

He spit part of the coffee into his cup. "If only I could hold you to that statement."

"That you happen to be a giant?"

"No, the part before that. About how I can't help who I am." He set his cup down, looking at me earnestly.

"Hold me to whatever you want." I moved my way into the living room, Jacob hot on my heels. "So why are you here? Do you usually visit with Jared? Are you guys like a team or something?" I plopped down on one of the couches in a most unlady-like manner.

"Oh, no," He folded himself into the seat next to me, making me scoot as far away as I could. "I' just here to babysit you while your sister and "Lurch" enjoy their alone time in your room."

"What?" I choked, feeling the coffee burn down my throat.

"Well your room meaning the room that you and Kim share. It's not like they sought out your bed or anything."

"My sister is having sex? Right now?" I whispered through the pain.

Jacob shrugged, not even trying to hide the smile that radiated on his face. "I would assume that's what they're doing behind closed doors."

"I bet you my life savings they're playing chess."

Jacob snorted into his coffee and drained it. "Think whatever you want, Shannon."

"Thank you I will, Jacob."

"Please, call me Jake."

"Fine, Jake."

* * *

I chewed on my asparagus stalk slowly, eyeing my sister from across the table. She was bubbling about school, her face rosy and unable to contain her smile. Coy bitch.

"So how did the school campaigning go? Still thinking about running for Class President?" Scott asked Kim, rolling a piece of pork around in his jaw as he spoke. I tried not to gag as I watched the white mass form different shapes.

"Mmm," Kim held her finger up and wiped her face on her napkin, successfully showing up my step-fathers table manners in a single motion. "I'm still planning on running, but getting started with stuff is so difficult. There's a bunch of basics that go into something like this. Simple stuff like making posters, you know?"

Jared, who was seated next to Kim beamed down at her proudly. I took this as my invitation into the conversation. "Is that what you and Lurch were doing this afternoon in _our _bedroom? Making posters?" Jake pushed his foot against mine and glared sideways at me. I felt my heartbeat race but ignored it.

"W-what?" Kim looked as if she had swallowed her tounge.

"You know, this afternoon? You were in there so long. Was there a lot of glitter? I hope you didn't get glitter on my bed. I hate to have to wash my sheets." I rested my chin on my hand and bit off another piece of asparagus.

"We were just talking strategies," Jared jumped in, trying to rescue Kim. "No posters or anything yet."

"Nothing to show for your efforts, huh?" I smiled sweetly as Jake dug his foot into mine.

"Well I had a productive day at work," My mother jumped in, sensing the tension between us.

Kim looked at me, her jaw locked. _Stop, _She mouthed, barely moving her lips.

_Make me, _I mouthed back, delighted that I now had this over her.

* * *

"You should be nicer to your sister." Jake told me as we were doing dishes. After my little dinner conversation I had been taxed with cleanup.

"I'm trying, really. She's just so hard to deal with sometimes." I handed the wet plate to Jake, who in turn dried it and set it on the shelf.

"I know, but you should try harder. She wants this to work, you know that, right? When she first learned you were coming to live here she was so excited. It was endless Shannon stories. I couldn't escape your childhood adventures."

I could feel the warmth radiating off Jake every time I handed him a dish. "Really?"

"Really," He leaned on the counter and adjusted his shirt with a grimace. It was like he wasn't used to wearing one and didn't like the feel of it.

"Are you trying to make me feel bad?" I leaned against the sink, facing him.

"Maybe," He sighed and gently pulled my side awake from the sink. "Look now you've gone and got your shirt all wet." He muttered, plucking the wet fabric away from my skin with his fingers.

"Are you fucking kid-" I began, but never finished because he had bent down to kiss me.


	8. Crazy Horse

I reeled back in surprise and broke the kiss.

"Excuse me?" I hissed in anger, but I could feel myself blushing wildly. His touch had caused my toes to tingle.

Jake looked at me with glassy eyes. "Oh, I didn't mean to do that."

"Then what exactly did you mean to do? Find out what I had for lunch?" I threw my hands into the air. "Next time just _ask _like a normal person."

"Shannon, hold on. I didn't mean to, really. I don't know what came over me." He reached a large, hot hand towards me, but I dodged it, spinning on my heel.

"If you do that again without my permission I'll pummel you." I threatened and raced towards my room. I could hear Jake calling out my name behind me but I ignored him and slid the lock on the door closed.

"Shannon!" He thumped a hand against the door. "Come on, let's talk about this."

"Like hell! You get the fuck away from my door!" I yanked the wet shirt over my head and began rifling through my laundry basket full of clean clothes, trying not to look at Kim's bed.

Voices soon joined Jakes' outside the locked door. Kim and Jared had heard the commotion and come to see what had happened.

"What the heck did you do, Jacob Black?"

"Nothing! Well, maybe…"

"Jake, you didn't."

"You dog!" Jared bellowed with laughter and muttered something I couldn't hear.

"Shannon, come on out. We'll talk about it, okay?" Kim called through the door.

"You're all psychos! I don't want to talk about it! Who talks through this stuff anyways? It was a mistake so just drop it and leave." I sat on my bed, hugging my knees.

"Shannon. Come out."

"Fuck off, Lurch." I growled under my breath and jumped off the bed when the doorknob started to wiggle. "I haven't had one minute to myself since I got here! I just want to be alone, please." I begged, trying not to sound too aggressive.

What were these weird feelings coursing through me? I could feel my heart beat my chest and my palms were sweating.

Damn Jacob Black! Damn him!

The insistent knocking ceased and I could hear footsteps shuffling away from the door.

"Shannon, I'm sorry." Jake's voice floated through the door sounding like a lost child's. "If there's anything I can do to make it up to you…"

"Just go." I mumbled, flipping over onto my side and tucking my chin into my chest. "I just need to decompress here for a little bit."

Life in California had been so simple, so easy. I had most of my time to myself, time to think. There had been nobody there to look after me or kiss me when I wasn't expecting it. I was usually the one who did the kissing and I would never have kissed someone like Jacob Black.

I pulled the sheets over myself and closed my eyes against the light. I needed a few days to adjust to this life.

* * *

The only thing that drove me from my warm cocoon of sheets and pillows was my bladder's urgent need to empty itself. I cursed and flung myself from the bed, still wearing the jeans and tee that I had fallen asleep in the night before.

"Cold, cold, cold." I chanted, dancing on the bathroom tiles as I undid my jeans and kicked them off my legs completely. "Why the freaking frick is Washington so cold."

The bathroom was eerily dark and quiet. Living in La Push there were no street lights or ambulances to stir the air at night. The only thing outside the bathroom may have been an owl on the hunt for his dinner.

I relieved myself then walked towards the mirror, completely intent on washing my hands and crawling back into bed.

"You're up?"

I shrieked and jumped around, clutching my chest. "Shit!" I whispered, panting. "Don't sneak up on a girl in the bathroom. How creepy can you get? Wait. Did you watch me pee? Cause if so this whole thing just got way weirder."

"Oh shut up, I just walked in. You woke me up with your singing about the cold floor." Kim leaned against the door jam, looking very comfortable and warm in her flannel pajama pants.

"I never did get around to getting some more weather-appropriate clothes."

"Well maybe we can take care of that tomorrow. Shopping?" She cleared her throat and crossed her arms across her chest, trying to look at ease.

I winced at the idea of shopping with my sister, but felt bad about my behavior before, and about how I had behaved since I arrived in La Push. "Ah yeah, sure, Kim. That sounds really nice."

"Really? Oh, okay." She drew away from the wall and uncrossed her arms. "That's great! We can head up to town, then. You'll want a bigger selection than what this place has to offer. We could even get dinner or see a movie."

"Whatever you want," I smiled back at her. Tomorrow was going to be an insanely long day.

Kim ducked her head and tuned to go back to bed. The clock on the end table that read 2:41 in red block letters was calling me back to unconsciousness as well.

"Hey Kimmy," I called softly, and gave her a tight-lipped smile. "Your poster-making secret is safe with me. Just don't ask for my help."

* * *

I served a double detention on Friday, one during my free period and one during my study hall. It had taken me all kinds of self-promises to smile up at Mrs. Marks, who was in charge of detentions. I had to explain twice that I was new and my sister was Kimberly, yes the one dating Jared, and how I really, really just needed a chance.

It was all almost enough to make a girl go crazy. I couldn't get Jacob Black out of my brain, either. I could see him grinning in my mind and I didn't like it. I didn't like it one bit.

Okay, maybe a little bit.

But I couldn't admit that I liked it. Not when I stood against everything that this town, this school, and all these people were. It was like being immersed in a heard of sheep who followed blindly and worshipped those who were more powerful.

I pulled myself up short and shook my head. More powerful? Where had that thought come from?

"Hey, crazy girl!" A voice called behind me, shaking me out of my funk.

"Gabe," I shot him a lopsided grin and fell in-step beside my one and only possible new friend in La Push. Jake had written himself out of that title last night in the kitchen.

"Looks like you've been thinking about important life issues." The red-headed boy commented, throwing an arm around my shoulders and squeezing me to his side. It was easy since he was only a few inches taller than me. "Care to share?"

"What do you know about this…gang of boys- err, men- that run La Push? Is it a family thing? Or like a Bloods and Cripps thing? Why does everyone seem so impressed? I mean, what do they even do?"

"Well that was sudden."

"What?"

He shrugged and I could feel his arm move across my neck. "I just thought we would have a little banter before we got onto the whole 'Sam Uley and Jacob Black run the world' issue."

"So this conversation was…?" I was reaching, trying to change his focus.

"Expected. Listen, those who do know what the Quileute boys are don't talk about it, and those who don't know can only speculate on what they are." He stopped and took a deep breath as he placed both of his hands on my shoulders, "There are legends that say they are giant wolves that change with the full moon and act as the protectors of the tribe." His face was serious but his eyes danced.

I eyed his red hair suspiciously. "Really? And what tribe do you belong to?"

"Well, not me obviously. You and you're people." He snorted and began to lead us down the hallway again.

"Well go figure this place to make up some hare-brained story like that to over for a bunch of obsessive control freaks."

"Those stories have been around longer than they have, Crazy."

"Crazy?" I popped one eyebrow and looked up at him from under his arm.

"I have to call you something. 'Shannon' is the wrong name for you. I can't imagine what your parents were thinking naming you that."

"I was named after I horse." I groaned.

"Excuse me?" He snorted.

"You head me, you toad." I punched him in the side and wiggled out from under his arm. "Some Australian race horse from the fifties, I guess. My mom was on a lot of drugs and my dad had just gotten into old race horses for some reason and that's how I ended up with the name."

His grin just kept spreading as I walked backwards away from him. I should never have told him.

"Where you going, Crazy Horse?" He called, unable to keep the laughter from his voice.

"To war!" I called back, grinning.

It was pretty damn close to the truth.

* * *

I picked at the skirt that I had on. It wasn't bad, exactly. It was just something I never would have chosen for myself.

"This is a little too much." I told Kim, my hands fisted on my hips. "Maybe if it was a different color, but this," I waved a hand over my body, "Isn't going to happen."

"Yellow is probably a little too much. Maybe the dark blue instead?" She swept away from the dressing room like a woman with a mission and I sagged against the door jamb, crossing my arms.

"So do you always come shopping, Lurchy-poo?" I asked.

He had the decency to look embarrassed. "Not always."

"Liar." I snorted and scowled as Kim returned toting a new skirt.

"I think this will be fine." She murmured, holding it against me. "It's conservative enough for anything formal, but still fun."

I looked down at the fabric and could see nothing fun about it.

"It's good, lets head on out!" I spun to change back into my jeans but Kim caught me around the arm and hauled me back towards the racks of clothes.

"What are you going to wear on top? How about a little cardigan? Maybe silver," She murmured, toting me around the store by my arm.

It took an hour to find the stupid cardigan, and by the time we were checked out and Kim had handed over Scott's shiny silver credit card, I had racked up a bill right under three-hundred dollars. When I mentioned I had nowhere near that money Kim waved it away.

"It's fine; consider it all those birthday presents Scott never bought you."

"He sent money."

She ignored me and handed Jared the bags without even asking if he wanted to carry them. I glanced up to see his face, but it was disgustingly dopey as he took the bags from her, smiling.

"I'm going to kill myself." I told my shoes, jogging to catch up with the lovebirds as they made their way out of the store and towards the car.

Kim's car was something that had been bugging me all day. It wasn't something that my mother could afford on her salary, so it must have been a gift from Scott, or even one of his old cars. It was tan with a grey interior- barf- and sported the blue and white BMW logo on the hood. It was definitely too expensive to be a teenagers car.

"You want shotgun?" Jared asked after putting the bags in the trunk.

"Please, I know you can't fit it the back seat." I said, sliding in behind him.

"Successful trip, don't you think?" Kim was babbling happily. She never babbles unless Jared is within a three foot radius of her. It was amazing.

"Oh, very," I muttered sarcastically, but she didn't catch it.

"Now you have a few nice things to wear to school and on dates and such." She turned out of the parking lot at a whopping ten miles an hour and continued to drive at least five under the speed limit wherever we went.

"Not that I don't appreciate your driving Kim, but do you think we could at least go the speed limit? This black stretch of flat earth with lines down the middle is called a highway. We're getting passed by a minivan." I stared out the driver-side window and a little kid pressed his nose up against the window of the van and gave me the finger as they flew by. "Seriously, I don't think we're gonna make our dinner reservations at this pace."

"Driving too fast makes me nervous," Kim called behind her, not taking her eyes off the road. Jared had his hand on her shoulder and was rubbing it in gentle circles.

"Why don't you let me drive then? I've never driven a car like this before." I was a filthy liar.

Kim seemed to consider for a half a second before she pulled off to the side of the road. I had expected her to bicker awhile longer, but I assumed that she was just so relieved that she didn't have to drive it didn't matter.

"Be careful with it, its Scott's back-up car." She told me, belting herself into the back seat.

"Scotty has a _back-up Beamer_?" I tried not to sound too shocked.

"Well, yeah." Kim blinked at me from the rearview mirror.

"Of course he does." I pulled out onto the road without a blinker and quickly got reprehended for it. "So where is this restaurant?"

"About fifteen miles back towards town. I'll tell you when to exit." Jared reached for my shoulder and then jerked his hand back when he realized I wasn't Kim, "Habit." He murmured sheepishly.

"Don't let it happen again." I told him sternly and breezed up until the speedometer read 70, scanning the lanes ahead of me for my prey.

I knew what I was about to do was wrong in every way. I knew that there was no sense in doing it. I knew that after I did it I would never be allowed behind the wheel of this car ever again. But for the next fifteen miles none of that mattered and frankly, in the words of Casanova, I didn't give a damn.

"Hey Shan, don't you think we're going a little fast?" Kim called lightly.

I didn't say anything because I had finally found what I was looking for and stamped my pedal to the floor, giddy with the rush of speed that suddenly jolted under us as we flew down the road.

"Too fast! Too Fast!" Kim screamed, grabbing the handle over her head.

I could hear Jared roaring with laughter beside me and jumped past a car so I could get back in the right lane to come even with the van from earlier. The kid inside was playing with his gameboy, so I honked my horn and when he looked up I flipped him off then sped away.

It was the most liberated I had felt since coming to La Push.


End file.
